Garrick Higgo was left beginning the PGA Championship with a two-shot penalty after being late to his tee time at Aronimink Golf Membership.
Higgo was as a result of tee off at 7.18am native time (12.18pm UK time) on Thursday for the second males’s main of the yr, partnering former main champion Shaun Micheel and PGA Tour participant Michael Brennan.
The South Africa was on the apply placing inexperienced however was not throughout the space outlined as the start line at his beginning time, leaving Higgo penalised below Rule 5.3a of the foundations of golf.
Rule 5.3a states {that a} participant’s spherical begins when the participant makes a stroke to start out their first gap, together with a participant being able to play on the beginning time and place to begin set by the committee.
Higgo arrived inside 5 minutes of his scheduled time, which means he had a two-shot penalty utilized to the primary gap and noticed his two-putt par flip right into a double-bogey six. Had he been over 5 minutes late, he would have confronted disqualification.
The PGA of America’s native guidelines and phrases of the competitors said that the start line for holes one and 10 is by the rope, gallery stakes, inexperienced bike fencing and/or blue stakes, blue dots or blue traces, with Higgo away from that space at his official tee time.
Talking in regards to the incident, former Solheim Cup participant Mel Reid – commentating for Sky Sports activities – stated: “It’s a bit silly, really. You are in full control of it so I don’t really know anyone who has done it.”
Sky Sports activities’ Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley added: “Not a prayer I would ever be late. That is a recurring nightmare for me. That and chipping onto a table and then it going over the other side.”
Higgo entered the week as world No 85 and having completed no larger than tied-Fortieth on the PGA Tour this season. His final win got here on the Corales Puntacana Championship in April 2025.
Extra to observe..
Who will win the PGA Championship? Watch all through the week dwell on Sky Sports activities Golf. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract.
